Chuck and his wife Gena believe she was poisoned by a chemical called gadolinium that she was injected with while undergoing a routine MRI exam for rheumatoid arthritis. The substance is commonly used as a contrast agent to enhance the images created by the MRI equipment to aid the physician in diagnosing a patient’s condition.

Gadolinium is usually expelled from a patient’s body after the test is completed, but that wasn’t the case with Gena, who received several injections of the chemical.

The Norrises are now suing the medical companies that make gadolinium. They are determined to do their part to help prevent others from experiencing the same pain and agony that Gena did. She explained,

“It’s infuriating and heartbreaking – it’s a vicious, ugly secret that has been kept hidden – something Chuck and I are determined to change.”